The Boston Celtics started off their road trip on the right note, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 117-107. Boston’s win allows them to leapfrog the Sixers into first place in the Eastern Conference. Boston managed to do so without stars Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown, who were side-lined due to sickness and injury respectively. Al Horford, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday stepped up and provided great performances, to drive Boston to a massive win of the season against their conference rivals.
The first quarter was a period of complete domination for the Celtics, as they outscored their opponents 37-22 in the quarter. Jrue Holiday started the game brightly, going on to finish with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Boston’s bench unit also did a fantastic job of carrying the load with Jayson Tatum off the floor, as they were able to continue to extend Boston’s lead. Dalano Banton had an effective game, with 5 rebounds and an incredible steal on Joel Embiid in just eight minutes of play.
Unfortunately for Boston, Philly quickly fought back and by the end of the second quarter they had retaken the lead at a score 58-57. Bizarrely, Boston struggled most with recently crowned MVP Joel Embiid off the floor, as Tyrese Maxey along with Tobias Harris led the Sixers’ bench unit successfully to complete a huge comeback within the first half. Philadelphia outhustled the Celtics in the first half with multiple put back dunks and second chance points. This was the main thing that brought them back into contention.
The third quarter provided some stable play, as both teams traded shots until Mr Reliable (Al Horford) stepped up big. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers to regain the Celtics’ lead, as well as a couple of vital blocks on Embiid. Horford finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks, but most importantly kept Embiid to a season low scoring of just 20 points. It appears, no matter his age, Al Horford, he will always be a thorn in the side of Joel Embiid.
The fourth and final quarter, however, was the Derrick White show as he scored 14 points and carried the Celtics bench unit. Just as it looked like the Sixers were going to make it a close game. Jayson Tatum also joined the party and quickly added 10 points in clutch time to help push the Celtics over the line. But once again Horford showed just how impressive his defensive skills are, as he rejected two more shots to prevent any chance of a Philadelphia comeback. Eventually, Boston ran out comfortable winners in this one, picking up an important victory on the road.
Joe Mazzulla commented on White’s stellar performance after the game via ESPN: “With the matchups that we had his efficiency was sky high. And when we can get him into those pick and rolls with his right hand, it’s a good effective play for us. He’s one of those guys who just shows up and makes the big play”. Boston will continue their road trip on Friday night, looking to extend their current win streak to 5 games. As they face the Toronto Raptors in their second In-Season Tournament game at the Scotiabank Arena.
By Will C
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